The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have agreed to jointly go after individuals and organisations who refuse to pay the right taxes.
During a courtesy visit to the EFCC headquarters in Abuja, yesterday, Executive Chairman of FIRS, Tunde Fowler, said the agencies will also target taxpayers who also refused to rely on the Federal Government’s tax amnesty programme, Voluntary Assets and Income Declaration Scheme (VAIDS), to offset their tax liabilities.
Fowler said: “There are some issues of non-remittance of withholding tax, Value Added Tax (VAT) and Personal Income Tax.
“The EFCC has shown support before. When tax defaulters are invited to your office (EFCC), we see result. I don’t know how you do it but we see result.
“Recently, two banks came forward to comply on their own. I think that they must have heard words. We want joint assistance with EFCC, especially now that VAIDS is over, to make sure that all tax defaulters get the lawful treatment.
“I want to let every taxable person in Nigeria know that we are ready to deploy all powers within our disposal to ensure that every tax defaulter is punished according to the law.”
Acting Chairman of EFCC, Ibrahim Magu, said the Commission was ready to do more to bring culprits to book.
“People are in a hurry to collect taxes but are reluctant to remit them”, he said.